MarkW

When I sold the 350Z and bought the Z4MC, I was commuting by train to work so it was only really a weekend fun car. For a car to go out for a blast in, it was great. The S54 engine is awesome and the focal point of the car. However, my job location changed, so I started using it every day for work. The ride is bone crushingly hard, and as a commuting car in traffic, where you cant use the performance, and just have to put up with the hard ride and awkward gear change, it got really tiresome. Plus, I have a bad back, and on a longer journey no matter how I adjusted the seat, I found it very uncomfortable. It was coming out of warranty, I wasn't enjoying it, plus service and running costs were high, so it made sense to change for my own circumstances. Plus I ran it for nearly a year and made almost £1500 on it....and that was selling back to a BMW dealer! However, I'm an old fart, it is an awesome car so don't listen to me and just go for it. If you want hardcore it is probably the right car!

Hi Richard, First time i've logged on here for months, and I spot that you're selling my 350Z already then You may remember I got a Z4MC when I sold the 350Z to you. I've got rid of it already It's a great car in many ways, but for a number of reasons it wasn't for me, so i've gone and got something sensible that I wont mention as it would cause embarrassment on here! Anyway, good luck and I'm sure you'll love it, but I still have fonder memories of the 350Z than the Z4MC so think carefully................

ooh i'm in print......hasn't arrived in the post yet! Just a bit of fun really

Nice to see my old wheels getting a new home. I loved that chrome colour. Hope you're still enjoying the car Richard

My TomTom GO 530 is up for sale on ebay, in case anyone is interested. It's a good buy as it's as good as new. I bought it in January when I still had the 350Z, used it 3 times in one week, then bought the Z4MC two weeks later with Nav in it. Doh! It's already got a bid on it so it will definitely sell but from a quick google they are going for over £200 at the moment (well at Halfords anyway) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0392943828

I would try for around £14k. I sold mine (Black) in Jan for £13200. Was in good condition but had done over 30k miles and didn't have the Nismo kit..... I think used prices have firmed up in the last couple of months. I could probably sell my Z4M for more now than I paid for it two months ago. Good luck.

Very nice Just make sure you dont pay over the odds for it!

Some good reasons there! It's shocking how much they have lost in two years and I sympethise with people who have lost out, but in the end the depreciation they have already suffered is why I bought one. I would agree the 350Z is a better long distance car, but currently I do few long journeys and only around 6k a year so not an issue for me. I probably wouldn't want either car if I was constantly travelling 15k plus a year. As for the 3.0si, I didn't drive one as I felt it was not a step up in performance from the 350Z. The Z4M Coupe was affordable, I drove it and loved it. The acceleration is addictive. The Z4M has quite a different setup to the 3.0, it has regular tyres not runflats, hydraulic steering not electric, different suspension, and brakes from the M3 CSL. It also has a higher standard spec and a slightly nicer interior. I think the 3.0 is probably a very good car in its own right, but I always wanted an 'M' car. They way I looked at it, if I bought a 3.0 and an M pulled up beside me would I be jealous - yes! Here are some pics of the Carbon Fibre badges I fitted on the weekend:

Bag of bolts LOL not far wrong! Interesting you went the other way, what made you choose the 350Z over the Z4M? I really don't like the look of the new Z4 so far, too bland and looks too big - americanised? The interior looks nicer tho. I guess if the put the M3 V8 in it I might change my mind in a few years when they are down to £20k again

One strange thing is the fuel tank is only 55l which after the 70l tank on the 350 seems rather small and reduces the range. +1 My M3 was only getting about 250 miles to the tank, i thought I had a leak Untill i filled it up from empty to full and it only cost about £43....... Yeah it's well under £50 for a full tank, I remember it being well over £70 in the 350 when petrol prices were at their worst! For some reason filling a smaller tank more often doesn't seem as bad as a big tank less often even if the amount used is the same.

BMW quote 5.0 to 62, but they are generally quite conservative. Last months performance car got a 4.7 out of it which isn't too shabby. I've seen the 0-100 listed at under 12 seconds too. One strange thing is the fuel tank is only 55l which after the 70l tank on the 350 seems rather small and reduces the range. I've just swapped all the BMW blue/White propeller badges for carbon fiber black/silver ones, which gives it a really fresh look I think. Will post some pics when I've taken some. Still haven't seen another Z4M yet, wonder how long it will be before I spot one?

After having my new Z4M Coupe for almost a month, I thought I would write up my thoughts so far. Exterior I really love the low, squat looks of the car. I personally think it looks completely different (and much nicer) than the roadster. Also it's a lot rarer, having only been available from 2006-2008 and only in 3.0si or ///M models. As with most ///M cars, the looks are quite subtle which I like, as it doesn't draw too much attention to itself. I don't know whether it is down to the colour (silver) or noise, but I don't get as many 'looks' as i did in the did in the 350Z GT4 (Black with JWT popcharger), which is a good or bad thing depending upon you point of view. Interior The overall fit and finish of the car outside and inside is of a much higher quality than the 350Z (the GT4 had the pre 2006 facelift interior) and the car feels more solid and well put together, though it is in fact 100 kg lighter. It has softer feel plastics and button controls that feel good to the touch as What Car would say. Spec Whereas almost everything is standard on the 350Z, there are still a number of options on the Z4MC, surprising for a £42k car, but it is german. It still has quite a high standard spec though, with leather, metallic paint, xenons, steering wheel controls and ///M badges everywhere! The things it doesn't have that the 350Z had are, heated seats (would have liked these as help my bad back!), folding mirrors (not really bothered, maybe useful in car parks), 6CD changer (hardly ever used it), upgraded hifi (again, normally listen to the radio), and cruise control (its a sports car!). However, over and above the 350Z it has BMW Sat Nav (which I now have speed cameras on ), bluetooth integration which actually seems to work ok, bi-xenons, memory seats, automatic lights, rain sensor, CD/MP3 Player, ipod socket, black headlining, plus lots of little configurable things like dropping the drivers window when opening the door to make access easier. Engine The main reason for buying the car is that 3.2 engine and it doesn't disappoint. At idle and low revs it is quiet and civilised (almost too quiet), and doesn't have as pleasing a noise as my 350Z with JWT. However, the rasping metallic noise it makes as it accelerates up to the red line sounds fantastic. The power difference is really noticeable as you go up the revs, it is the quickest car i've owned by some margin and seems laughably (almost scarily) fast all the way up to the 8000 rpm redline. It 'only' has 45 bhp more than my 350Z, but with the weight difference it is really noticable. To sum it up in one word - awesome :-) Ride The ride is quite hard and the rear end seems a bit bouncy on bad surfaces, but overall doesnt' feel much worse compared with the 350Z. I understand the Coupe has a different suspension setup to the roadster, to take advantage of its extra rigidity. The driving position is very different, you sit quite low down (the seats adjust much lower than the 350Z), looking down a very long bonnet, with your rear almost over the rear axle. The seat is very adjustable, but I'm still struggling to find a comfortable position - I think this is down to my bad back flaring up again which doesn't help. I'm still getting used to parking as it seems 2/3 of the car is in front of you, and only 1/3 behind. Handling, i've not really had chance (or wanted to) push it, but it feels sharp and the back end steps out quite quickly exiting a turn if you get on the gas too quickly (but fortunately the DSC keeps it in check). The steering is very quick, and on the motorway you do have to concentrate as you are always having to make minor adjustments, making it not the most relaxing car to drive. I think if I was doing a lot of long drives, it would not be my ideal main car, better kept as a 2nd car if I could afford it. Running costs Tyres (18"s) will be broadly the same, Road Tax is £400. Fuel so far is averaging around 23 mpg - the same as my 350Z. I think urban is a few mpg worse, but nothing that will make a lot of difference as I only do around 6k a year. Servicing is flexible but dearer, its due an Inspection 1 soon which will be around £5-600, then an oil service after another 12-15k (£200), and the big Inspection II after another 12-15k (up to £1000). Based upon the milage I do this is 4 years away though! Overall I loved my 350Z, it was the best car I ever owned and I would not rule out owning another one, (or a 370Z in a year or two when I could afford one!). However, the Z4MC is a completely different beast and at the moment I am very happy with my choice. I always wanted a TVR (love the T350), but wasn't brave enough to go for it with all the stories you read, plus the fact they are no longer around. I think the Z4MC is the closest to get to what a TVR would be if the germans built it, and hopefully it wont go wrong. For the money, this must be one of the best performance cars you can buy. You get a car that listed at over £44k two years ago, 343 bhp, almost 911 performance, great looks, rarity value, most of the toys and some comfort all for under £20k. I just hope I stay in a fortunate enough position over the next couple of years to enjoy it and learn the car more.

That's why I didn't go for the roadster I much prefer the Coupe, it looks and is a lot rarer. You'd be surprised (maybe not) at the price of these now. I paid less for this than I did for my 350Z

Very sad to see the 350Z go on Saturday , loved that car, but I'm happy its gone to a good home. Picked up the replacement on Saturday afternoon and its mostly snowed since The bit of driving I have done I've loved it, but it's certainly brutal! It will take some learning to drive Anyway, here are a few pics..... I think I need to change my sig now too.

I've just gone with these guys for my new Z4MC recommended from the z4 forum. Got a better quote than my current insurer, and better than the whole of confused.com - with lower excesses as well! Very impressed so far!